Anna Karenina, Part 3, Chapter 12 summary
Part 3, Chapter 12 of 239 · 6 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 12, Levin watches the haymakers celebrate their work and imagines abandoning his isolated, educated life for a peasant existence, though he cannot decide how to begin. At dawn, seeing Kitty in a passing carriage dissolves these plans, and he recognizes that his love for her outweighs his desire for that simpler life.
What happens
- Ivan Parmenov drives away with the hay while his wife joins the women, whose singing fills Levin with envy and loneliness.
- Levin admires the peasants’ shared work and imagines exchanging his own life for theirs.
- He spends the night in the meadow, considering a new way of living without finding a practical starting point.
- Walking toward the village before dawn, he sees Kitty in a carriage, and she recognizes him with delight.
- His plans vanish, and he acknowledges that he loves Kitty rather than choosing a peasant life.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The sight of Kitty replaces Levin’s plans for a peasant existence with renewed certainty about her importance to him.
Quick check
What causes Levin’s resolutions about a new life to vanish?
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